BHUBANESWAR: Principals of colleges and headmasters of schools, which get a block grant, on Monday joined the agitating teachers at PMG here to mount pressure on the State Government.
At least 30,000 block grant teachers from across the State under the aegis of Odisha School College United Teachers and Employees' Association have been on strike here for the last 12 days demanding abolition of the "anti-education" and "anti-teacher" block grant system and implementation of full grant-in-aid (GIA). However, the State Government is yet to discuss the issue with them. While a meeting between the agitators and the Government authorities was scheduled for Monday, it was postponed by the latter.
The agitation has severely affected teaching in schools and colleges governed by the block grant system. Odisha, apparently, is the only State where block grant system is in place and this despite the fact that the Supreme Court had earlier directed 'Equal Pay for Equal Work' for teachers of all categories throughout the country. Although they have been agitating for several years now over the demands, the State Government has not paid any heed except for hiking their basic pay structure by 25 per cent last year and assuring them to implement three per cent hike every year.
The agitators alleged that the block grant they get is lower than the salary of the peon working in a State Government office. They said although teachers hired under the State Service Selection Board and University Grants Commission (UGC) have been getting much more salary for the same work that blocks grant teachers are doing, the Government is yet to look into the pay anomalies. Only last year, the Government had increased their basic pay structure by 25 pc assuring them to implement three pc hike every year.
Around 80 pc of schools in the State get block grant aid and as far as colleges are concerned, there are about 15,000 teachers and employees in the 662 and 488 aided colleges getting the aid. Sources said 488 category colleges' lecturers are only being paid a measly `16,130 even though they have completed uninterrupted services of 15 to 25 years whereas those appointed under the State Service Selection Board are getting more than double of the amount.